Printing apparatus which is capable of editing printing data, and a printing method for use with the printing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A printing apparatus, including a user input unit which receives a first user command to initiate a printing operation, a display unit which displays information relating to the printing operation, a printing unit which performs printing with respect to printing data, and a controller which controls the display unit to display reference information of the printing data before the printing, and which controls the printing unit to perform the printing according to a second user command.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/830,285 filed on Jul. 30, 2007, and claims thepriority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0072676 filedon Aug. 1, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Aspects of the present invention relate to a printing apparatus and aprinting method, and, more particularly, to a printing apparatus whichis capable of editing printing data, and a printing method for use withthe printing apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

A printing apparatus including a printer and a multi-function devicereceives printing data, such as pictures and text, from a host device,such as a computer system, and forms an image on a printing medium suchas a printing paper after processing the image.

Once a command to begin a printing operation is issued by a user, aconventional printing apparatus will not allow another command to beissued from the user until the printing operation is completed. That is,an image of the concerned printing data may not be revised or removed(hereinafter, referred to as “image editing”) while being printed afterthe printing command is inputted by the user. Thus, when using theconventional printing apparatus, the user should revise the printingdata or remove unwanted printing data before inputting the command tostart the printing operation. Otherwise, the user will not be able toedit the printing data until after checking the printed image, and mustre-input the command to re-print the edited printing data.

That is, the conventional printing apparatus does not allow the user toedit the printing data while the printing data is being printed.Therefore, the user is required to re-print and discard printed resultsbased on printing data which required further edition, thereby wastingtime, paper and toner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a printingapparatus which is capable of editing printing data before performingprinting and after a printing command is issued from a user. Anotheraspect of the present invention is to provide a printing method whichallows for the editing of printing data before performing printing andafter the printing command is issued from the user.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are alsoachieved by providing a printing apparatus, comprising: a user inputunit which receives a first user command to initiate a printingoperation; a display unit which displays information relating to theprinting operation; a printing unit which performs printing with respectto printing data; and a controller which controls the display unit todisplay reference information of the printing data before the printing,and which controls the printing unit to perform the printing accordingto a second user command.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, theprinting apparatus further comprises: an image processor which performsan image process with respect to the printing data, wherein thecontroller controls the image processor to display an imagecorresponding to the printing data as the reference information.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, thecontroller controls the printing unit to perform at least one ofsuspending the printing operation and resuming the suspended printingoperation according to a user command.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, thecontroller controls the printing unit to cancel the printing operationaccording to a user command when the printing operation is suspended.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, thecontroller controls the image processor to revise a printing image to beformed on a printing medium corresponding to the concerned printing dataaccording to a user command when the printing operation is suspended.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, the imageprocessor performs at least one of removing a part of the printingimage, rotating the printing image and revising the printing imageaccording to a control of the controller.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, theprinting apparatus further comprises: a menu generator which generates amenu to be displayed on the display unit, wherein the menu allows for asuspension of the printing operation, a cancellation of the printingoperation, a resumption of a suspended printing operation, and an imagerevision of the printing operation.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are alsoachieved by providing a printing method, comprising: displayingreference information of printing data before conducting a printingoperating to print the printing data; and performing one of suspendingthe printing operation and resuming the suspended printing operationaccording to a user command.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, theprinting method further comprises: displaying an image corresponding toconcerned printing data as the reference information.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, theprinting method further comprises: canceling the printing operationaccording to a user command when the printing operation is suspended.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, theprinting method further comprises: revising a printing image to beformed on a printing medium corresponding to the concerned printing dataaccording to a user command when the printing operation is suspended.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, therevising the printing image comprises performing at least one ofremoving a part of the printing image, rotating the printing image andrevising the printing image according to a control of the controller.

According to an example embodiment of the present invention, theprinting method further comprises: displaying a menu comprising an itemenabling to select at least one of suspension, cancellation, resumptionof the printing operation and image revision with respect to theprinting data.

Additional and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will beset forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will beobvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a printing apparatus according toan embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a control flowchart of a printing method according to theembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a printing apparatus 100 accordingto an example embodiment of the present invention. The printingapparatus 100 receives printing data, such as pictures and text, from ahost device 200, and forms an image on a printing medium, such as asheet of printing paper or a transparency, during a printing operation.The printing apparatus 100 may be a printer, a photo copier, a facsimiledevice, or a multi-function device. The host device 200 may control anoperation of the printing apparatus 100 and may be a computer system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 comprises a communicator110, a user input unit 120, a display unit 130, an image processor 140,a printing unit 150, a menu generator 160 and a controller 170. Thecommunicator 110 communicates with the host device 200 through a controlof the controller 170. The communicator 110 may comprise a network card,etc. The user input unit 120 receives a user command relating to theprinting operation and transmits the user command to the controller 170.The display unit 130 displays information of the printing operationaccording to the control of the controller 170. According to anembodiment of the invention, the display unit 130 comprises a liquidcrystal display (LCD) to display a menu as a user interface. The userinput unit 120 and the display unit 130 may comprise an operation panel(OPE).

The image processor 140 processes the printing data according to thecontrol of the controller 170. The image processor 140 generates animage of the printing data that the user desires to print to allow theimage to be displayed on the display unit 130. According to anembodiment of the invention, the image comprises a replication of theimage to be printed on the printing medium at a reduced size and ishereinafter referred to as a “printing image.” Further, units of theprinting data may be organized according to the page the printing datawill be printed on. In this case, the printing image comprises a reducedimage of a certain page of the printing data.

The image processor 140 allows for a revision of the printing imageaccording to the control of the controller 170. More specifically, theimage processor 140 may remove a part of the printing image, may rotatethe printing image, and may revise the printing image, etc, according touser commands. The printing unit 150 prints the printing data accordingto the control of the controller 170. The printing unit 150 may comprisea printing engine (not shown) operated in accordance with an inkjetmethod, a laser printing method, etc.

The menu generator 160 generates a menu to operate as a user interfaceand supplies the menu to the display unit 130 according to the controlof the controller 170. The menu comprises items enabling a selection ofa suspension of printing operations, a cancellation of the printingoperations, a resumption of the suspended printing operations or animage revision, etc.

The controller 170 controls the printing apparatus 100. When the hostdevice 200 transmits the printing data and a corresponding user commandto print the printing data, the controller 170 controls the foregoingelements to print the concerned printing data. The controller 170controls the image processor 140 to display the image of the concernedprinting data on the display unit 130 before the printing of theprinting data and after the printing command is issued from the user.Also, the controller 170 controls the printing unit 150 to print theconcerned printing data according to a user command that is inputtedthrough the user input unit 120.

In particular, the controller 170 may control the printing unit 150 tosuspend the printing operation or to resume the suspended printingoperation according to a user command. In addition, when the printingoperation is suspended, the controller 170 may control the printing unit150 to cancel the printing operation according to a user command.Further, the controller 170 may control the image processor 140 torevise the printing image of the concerned printing data according to auser command when the printing operation is suspended. The controller170 may comprise a computer program and a memory, such as a ROM (notshown) to store the computer program, a central processing unit (CPU),and random access memory (RAM) to execute the computer program.

Referring to FIG. 2, the operation of the printing apparatus 100according to the present invention will be described in detail. First,the controller 170 determines whether the printing data and the printingcommand are transmitted from the host device 200 at block S101. When theprinting command is determined to have been transmitted from the hostdevice 200, the controller 170 controls the image processor 140 todisplay the printing data, i.e., the reduced image of the page to beprinted at block S102.

Then, the controller 170 determines whether a user suspends the printingoperation through the user input unit 120 at block S108. If the userdoes not suspend the printing operation at block S103, the controller170 controls the printing unit 150 to print the concerned printing dataat block S108.

The controller 170 determines whether all of the pages of the printingdata are completely printed at block S109. If all of the pages aredetermined to have been printed, the controller 170 completes theoperation of the printing apparatus 100. If all of the pages aredetermined not to have been printed as determined at block S109, thecontroller 170 increases a page count to print the next page at blockS110. Then, the controller 170 controls the image processor 140 todisplay the reduced image of the next page at block S102.

If the user suspends the printing operation at block S103, thecontroller 170 controls the printing unit 150 to suspend the printingoperation at block S104. Then, the controller 170 controls the menugenerator 160 to generate and display a selection menu to allow for theinput of a user command at block S105. The controller 170 thendetermines whether the user command has been inputted through the userinput unit 120 at block S106.

If the user command is determined to comprise an image revision commandat block S106, the controller 170 controls the image processor 140 torevise the concerned printing image according to the user revisioncommand at block S107. When the image revision is completed, thecontroller 170 controls the printing unit 150 to print the revisedprinting data at block S108.

If the inputted user command does not comprise the image revisioncommand at block S106, the controller 170 determines whether the usercommand comprises a cancellation of all or part of the printingoperation at block S111. For example, the cancellation of the printingoperation may comprise a cancellation of the printing operation withrespect to the concerned page. If it is determined that the user commanddoes not comprise the cancellation of the printing operation, thecontroller 170 controls the printing unit 150 to print the revisedprinting data at block S108.

If the user command is determined to comprise the cancellation of theprinting operation at block S111, the controller 170 removes theprinting data with respect to the concerned page at block S112, andproceeds with block S109.

As is described above, aspects of the present invention provide aprinting apparatus which is capable of editing printing data before thedata is printed and after a corresponding printing command is issuedfrom a user, and a printing method to operate the printing apparatus.That is, the printing apparatus, according aspects of the presentinvention, edits the printing data before the printing operation andafter the printing command is issued from a user and minimizes aninconvenience to the user due to an advance image editing. Also, theprinting apparatus, according to aspects of the present invention,allows for the later editing of an image, thereby saving time, paper andtoner.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in these embodiments without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A printing apparatus, comprising: a display; aprinting unit to print printing data received from an external source;an image processor to perform an image process on the received printingdata; a controller to control a printing operation corresponding to thereceived printing data, wherein, in response to receiving a printcommand, the controller: controls the image processor to generate areplication image which is displayed on the display, the replicationimage being generated using a first portion of the printing data,determines whether a command to suspend the printing operation isreceived, if the printing operation is suspended, determines whether acommand to edit the first portion of the printing data is receivedduring a suspension of the printing operation, and if the command toedit the first portion of the printing data is received, controls theprinting unit to print the edited printing data; and a menu generator togenerate a menu to be displayed on the display, wherein, in response toreceiving a command to suspend the printing operation, the controllercontrols the menu generator to generate and display a selection menu toenable selection of a cancellation of the entire printing operation, acancellation of a portion of the printing operation, a resumption of thesuspended printing operation, and an image editing of the printing data.2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising auser input unit which receives a user command to initiate the printingoperation, wherein the controller edits printing data in response to theuser command received through the user input unit and controls theprinting unit to perform printing with respect to the edited printingdata.
 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theediting of the first portion of the printing data comprises at least oneof removing the replication image, rotating the replication image andrevising the replication image.
 4. The printing apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the controller controls the printing unit to resume thesuspended printing operation after editing the first portion of theprinting data corresponding to the replication image.
 5. The printingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the replication image comprisesprinting data corresponding to a plurality of pages of a printingmedium.
 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thereplication image is displayed at a reduced size.
 7. A printing method,comprising: receiving printing data; performing a printing operationwith respect to the received printing data; generating a replicationimage using a first portion of the received printing data; displayingthe replication image; determining whether a command to suspend theprinting operation is received; in response to determining that theprinting operation is suspended, controlling a menu generator togenerate and display a selection menu to enable selection of acancellation of the entire printing operation, a cancellation of aportion of the printing operation, a resumption of the suspendedprinting operation, and an image editing of the printing data;determining whether a command to edit the first portion is receivedduring a suspension of the printing operation, if the printing operationis suspended; and printing the edited printing data, if the command toedit the first portion is received.
 8. The printing method according toclaim 7, wherein a command to edit printing data is received through auser interface.
 9. The printing method according to claim 7, wherein theediting of the first portion of the received printing data comprises atleast one of removing the replication image, rotating the replicationimage and revising the replication image.
 10. The printing methodaccording to claim 7, further comprising resuming the suspended printingoperation after editing the first portion of the printing datacorresponding to the replication image.
 11. The printing methodaccording to claim 7, wherein the replication image comprises printingdata corresponding to a plurality of pages of a printing medium.
 12. Theprinting method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying thereplication image at a reduced size.
 13. An apparatus to manage aprinting operation, the apparatus comprising: a display; and a menugenerator to generate a menu to be displayed on the display; acontroller to control a printing operation; a user input unit to receivea first command suspending an ongoing printing operation correspondingto received printing data, and to receive a second command altering orcancelling printing of a first portion of the received printing datawhile the printing operation is suspended; an image processor to alterthe first portion of the received printing data based on the receivedsecond command; and a printing unit to resume the printing operationonce the altering or cancelling of the first portion of the receivedprinting data is completed, wherein, in response to receiving the firstcommand, the controller controls the menu generator to generate anddisplay a selection menu to enable selection of a cancellation of theentire ongoing printing operation, a cancellation of a portion of theongoing printing operation, a resumption of the suspended printingoperation, and an image editing of the printing data, and wherein, ifthe second command is an altering command, when the altering of thefirst portion of the printing data is completed, the controllerdetermines whether printing data remains to be printed, and whenprinting data remains, the image processor processes printing data fromamong the remaining printing data.
 14. The apparatus according to claim13, further comprising an interface to communicate with a host devicewhich transmits the printing data to the apparatus.
 15. The apparatusaccording to claim 13, wherein the display displays an image of theprinting data to a user.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 13,wherein the altering command comprises a command to revise printing databy revising a section of the printing data, removing a section of theprinting data, and/or rotating a section of the printing data.
 17. Theapparatus according to claim 13, wherein the ongoing printing operationincludes printing of received printing data, and the first commandsuspending the ongoing printing operation is received during printing ofreceived printing data.